Butter cutter



A. 'SLATEN BUTTER CUTTER Filed .my 51. 192el 3 Sheets-Sheet L /LIUJ .mn mullah 44 ALBERT SLAM/v A. sLA'rEN BUTTER GUTTER Dec. 13, 1927.

Filed July 51. 1926 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 gnou/toc A LBERT SLATEN attenta;

A.- sLATEN D ec. 13, .1921.

BUTTERA UTTER- Filed July 3l, 1926 3 Sheetg-Sheet 3 'ALBERT SLATEN u akker m1 ,Patented Dec. 13, 1927.Y

` UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ALBERT SLATEN, or MINNEAPonIs, MiNNEsoTa.

BUTTER CUTTER.

Application filed July 31, 1926. Serial `No.`126,243.

This invention relates tolbutter cutting devices, and the primaryobJect is to 'provide a practical, eiticientand comparatively simple machine for supporting and yadvanc?V inga cake of butter, progressively cutting' disclosed in the course of the following speci- -fication, referencefbeing had to the accompanying drawings, wherein: Y 1 Fig.r 1 isv a sectional elevation on a longie tu'dinalA `plane substantially through the center of the machine..l

Fig. 2 is anv enlarged detail view, partly in section,.of the butter chip thickness adaov justing device.

`Fig. 3 is a left side elevation of the machine, withu-pper and lower portions there` of broken away. v n

Fig. 4 is a'front end elevationy of the machine, with the cutter head partly lowered.

Fig. 5 is a rear end elevation, portionsbeing broken away. t

Fig. 6 is. affront-elevation, similar to Fig. 4,.but showing the cutter head in its uppermost-position. n Referring to the drawingsmore particularly and by reference characters, 7 designates a. hollow, main, cast frame, having legs 8, and having Vdependingbearings 9 and 10 in which are respectively journaled shafts 11 and 12, the latter of which is provided withia handV crank 13. The frame is further provided with a trough 14,*in which vis slidably retained the blockof butter A, andthe b lockA is progressively advanced `toward the cutting mechanism, at the front of the machine, by atraveller 15, having a pawl 116, engageable. ywith a longitudinally I-'eciprocable,'toothed rack bar 17.j .The bar 17 has a'lug 19, connected by a Vlink 2 0, to a lever 21, pivoted as at 22to the main frame,

and a spring`23, aeting'on the lever 21,

tends to hold the, bar 17 rearwardlyr with thelug 19 against a stop pin 24. The stop 24 yis adjustable, so as toiregulatc the stroke length of the bar 17,.and thus effects an ad- "just-ment to the thickness of the chips cutV from tht-ibutterblock-by the:verticallyl ciprocating cutter head. The stop adjust# ing device is illustrated ,in Figs.y 1, 2 and5, Y

and maybe described as follows: The stop 24 is slidably and non-rotatably ksecured in a collar 2,5, secured'to the frame 7, and has a project-ing pin 26 which extends into a curvedV slot 27 in a sleeve 28 trunnioned on the collar 25. The sleevel 28 has a `crank arm 29 in t-he end of which is threaded a knob or handle 30 having a point 31 adapted, by turning the knob, to be secured in any onerof a semi-circular series of perforations or recesses 32 in the back wall of the main frame 7. Thus, itl will be seen, that by rechips may be easily regulatedv at will. The

successivev forward movements of the cutter bar 17 are effected by the lever 21, which is periodically tripped by a pin 33 on a c am 34, carried by the shaft 12. The edge of the ca1n34 isengaged by a roller 35,*of an arm-A 36 of the rshaft 1 1', and the shaft 11 is further provided with a pair of side arms 37, connected byr a U-sbaped link yoke 38 to the cutter head which it operates. The cutter head is raised, after each downward or .cutting movement, `by an upward movement of the arms 37, and this is ,effected by a spring 39, connecting anarm 40 of the shaft 11 to the main frame, and a cam 41, carried by thev shaft 12 and engageable with the roller 42 ofan `arm 43, extending from the shaft 11. Either o-r boththe cam and springmay be used. Thus, it will be'seen that the vertical, reciprocating motion of the cutterrhead made by thel traveller Vhead 15.

To stop the advance movement ofk the member` 15, when the supply of butter is exhausted, and, to provide means foi1 readily returning. the head to its rearward or initial position. lhave provided the pawl 16 with a laterally arranged lifting lever 44. Vhen .this lever approaches itsY foremost position, asindicated by the dotted lines in Fig.. 3 it 'is'raised by a permanent pin 45, thus disengaging, the pawl 16, and to. return the pusher-*head 15 to its rearward, initial position, it is only necessary to grasp'and pull the leverv rearward, while in its raised pesi# tion, and then releasingv it 'so that the pawl 'i6 will: reeng'agethe teeth ef tli rack 17.-. Y

The butter cutting and chip separating mechanism, which is of primary .importance in the present instance, may be described as follows: i r

Permanently secured in the frame 7, and at the front end of the trough 14, is a pair of spaced` vertical standards 46, between which is slidably arranged a 'frame 45T, having crossed wires 4S and 49, through which the butter cake `forced bythe `head 15 so as to divide it into four equal cuts, A1, A2, A, and A4. Only two crossed cutting wires are shown, but it is obvious that any number may be en'iployed,depending upon the size of the cake of butter, and the size of chips desired. When the cutter head, soon tobe described, is removed, the frame 47 may be pulled out, upwardly, for cleaning purposes. y

The cutter' head consists of a plate50, having lateral flanges 51 which guide on the standards 4G. so that the head may be moved upand dowin This head may also be uiclily removed from the standards`4-6, for

ceaning purposes, by being detached from the yoke 38, said yoke being secured to the cutter head by a spring clip 52.

The cutter head is further provided with a diagonally disposed cuttin wire 53, which operates in a vertical plane immediately adjacent to the plane of the cross wires 48 and 49, so that when the butter cakeis pushed a predetermined distance through the wires 48, 49, the resulting chips or pats, A1, A2, A3, and A, are severed from the cake A, thus forming the desired pieces for table use. The tautness of the wire 53 may be adjusted `by suitablenieans such as an adjusting screw 54.

I am aware ofthe fact that butter cutters have previously been designed which enibody the broad principle of pressing a butter cake through crossed wires and then sever ing the projected chips to form the desired shaped pieces. In all of suchinstances that have come to my attention, however, there has been no provision for positively segregating and individually delivering the cut chips, with a result that the chips will stiel; together, especially in warnr weather, and are difficult to separate vwhen about to be served to customers. But if the chips can be kept separated and be separately delivered to the icc container or ice water ,bowl7 this diiliculty is not ordinarily experienced.

In order to segregate the pieces so that they will not stica together as they leave the main calze, I provide the cntterhead plate 50 with a pair of separating lingers and 56 which are late ally spaced and oil'set, one higher than the other. The lower ends of these fingers pass, with the plate 50, into the curf made by the wire 53, and their upper ends are outwardly or forwardly curved (see Fig. l), so as to tilt the pieces forwardly. To assist the `fingers 55 and 56 in their work I also provide the cutter head with a transverse, forwardly spaced bail 57, which is ol'fset as at 58 so that one half is `lower than the other, and under the projecting end of the butter cake I arrange a guard or bracket 59 to prevent the butter chips A and A* from falling directly down,- ward.

The operation of the cutter head lparts may be briefly described, as follows: y

As the cutter head `moves downward the wire 53 will iirst com letely sever the chip A2, due to the incline( position of the wire. The finger 55 will now tilt this chip fol."- wardly over the corresponding or lower portion of the bail 57, and the loosened chip will be dropped over the bail and into a suitable container (not shown) below.` In the @delivered over the higher end of the bail,

and follows the chip A2 into the bowl below, while the lower end of the wire 53 continues into chip At. The chips A and A are formed and delivered in like fashion,` eX- cept, that they are held in place by the guard 59 until the action of the tingers=55` and 5G is completed. Thus the four `chips are separately and successively e delivered from the machine. t

At this point the cam 41 reenga-ges the roller 4Q, the cutter head is lifted by they lOl] the cutter head is again in readinesstore` peat the operation above setl forth. p

lt is understood that suitable modifications may be .made in the general design e `and structural `details of the invention as herein shown and describccl, provided, howif every that said xuoditicationscome within the spirit andr scope of the appended claims. Having now therefore fully sliownand de scribed my invention, what claim "to bc ne f enty is: A

1. In a machine for cutting a blockofbutter into relatively small pieces, the combination including means for longitudinally dividing the block into sections, means for transvcrscly dividing the sections int-o` the desired pieces, and means independent of both `said dividing means but movable together with the second dividing means for separating the sec` tions from each other and individually deliv cring them from the machine, said separatingr meanscomprising a pair ofinger members one of which isvertically offset with respect to the other. i V

2. In a machine for cutting` a block of butter into relatively small pieces,the comand desire to protect by .Letters APata guide for-'supporting a block of butter,`

a frame at one end of the guide and having -the sections into pieces, and means, carried by the cutter head independent of the element, for separating the piecesJ as they are` cut, and delivering them from the machine, said separating means comprising a pair of finger members one of whichv is vertically offset with respect to the other.

3. In a machine for cutting a block of butter into relatively small pieces, the combination including means for longitudinally dividing the block into sections, a cut-ter head, slidably carried by the machine, for transversely cutting the sect-ions into pieces, and fingers, carriedv by the cutter head for directing the pieces away/,from the butter block as they arecut, said fingers being vertically ott'set with respect to each other.

4.( In a machine for cutting ablock of butter into relatively small pieces, having means for longitudinally dividing the block into sections, and a cutter head `slidably carriedby the machine, for transversely cut-ting the sections. into pieces, the combination of outwardly directed fingers'and a bail associatedl therewith, carried bythe cutter head, for receiving and delivering the butl ter pieces as they are successively severed from the butter block. Y

V5. In a machine forlcutting `butter having crossed cutting members through which the block of butter is moved todivide it longitudinally into sections, and a `cutter head operating in a plane adiacent to the frame for transversely cutting 'the sections into small pieces, the combination ofmeans carried by the head'for successively Aseparating the cut pieces and delivering them away from the remaining pieces, said means'comyprising a pair of fingers one of'which op` crates in advance of. the other. s y

6. In a machine for cuttingbutter having a` guide for supporting abloc-k of butter, a

'frame at one end of the guide and having crossed cutting members through which the block of butter is moved to divide it longitudinally into sections, anda cutter head operating in a plane adjacent to the frame for transversely cutting the sections 'into small pieces, the combination of means carried by the head for successively separating the cut pieces and delivering them away from I the remaining pieces, said means comprising outwardly disposed fingers and a forwardly spaced bail.

7. In a machine for cutting butter having a guide for supporting a block of butter, a frame at one end of the guide and having crossed cutting members through which the block of butter is moved to divide it longitudinally into sections, and a cutter head operating in a plane adjacent to the fra-me for transversely cutting the sections into small pieces, the combination of means carried by the head for successively separating the cut pieces and delivering them away from the remaining pieces, said means comprising a pair of outwardly curved and transversely spaced lingers one of which operates in advanceof the other. I

1 8. In a machine for cutting butter having a guide for Supporting a block ofi'butter, Va frame at one end of the guide andhaving crossed cutting members through which the block of butter is moved to divide it longitudinally into sections, and a cutter head operating in a plane adjacent tothe fra-Ine for transversely cutting the sections into small pieces, the combination of means carried by the head for successively separating the cut pieces and delivering them away from the remaining pieces,rsaid means cornprismga pair of outwardly curved and transs versely spaced fingers, one of which is higher than the other.

9. A butter cutter having a main frame for supporting a `block of butter, a pair of standards at one end ofi' the frame, a cutter trame detachablyl secured between saidy standards, through which the butter block is, moved to divide it longitudinally, and a cutter head slidably carriedby the standards for dividing the butter block.

transversely, the combination of means including a substantially U-shaped yoke for actuating the cutter head.

i0. Abutter cutter having a main frame for supporting a block of butter, a pair of standards atone end of the frame, a cutter trame detachably secured between said Standards, through which the butter block is moved to divide it longitudinally, and a cutter head slidably carried by the standards for dividing the butterblock transversely, the combination of means including la substantially U-shaped Vyoke for actuating the cutter head, said yoke being detachable with Y respect tothe cutter head.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

Y ALBER'I" sLATEN.

llO 

